After Lady Sings the News
by pwincesst
Summary: Companion fic to Much Ado About Nothing... What happened after the episode "Lady Sings The News"?


AN: Romance: Here you go : ) This is probably going to be a one shot though, cause I don't like writing sad stories :P

EgoxLockheart: I'll try and do another Jimmy/Cindy fic soon, but I already had the idea for this one, so it's coming first :P

After a certain ill fated news show, a 12 year old genius tosses and turns in bed, trying to figure out the events of the previous few days. Playing footsie in the library with his ponytailed rival… getting caught flirting with her on camera… that brief kiss in the alley. He shakes his head… how COULD he have been so impulsive… yet… Cindy hadn't exactly pushed him away… did that mean that she liked him, too? It couldn't be… he must have been accidentally exposed to his love pheromone again. He knew how much havoc THAT had wreaked: Carl had nearly murdered his father in an effort to "get rid of the dead weight." Sheen had given up his favorite Ultralord to a GIRL… although come to think of it, he still saw Sheen trailing around after Libby occasionally… with those longing looks. And Cindy…James Isaac Neutron didn't even WANT to think about how strongly the sharp tongued blonde had been featuring in his mind for the last few months…

"Goddard: Options" Jimmy ordered his mechanical canine, who would have rolled his eyes if he was programmed to do so.

TELL HER HOW YOU FEEL. The message flashed across his dog's monitor.

"AND HAVE MY BUTT KICKED? No way…"

KIDNAP HER AND BRING HER BACK TO THE ISLAND

"And she'll just kick my butt there… besides, you KNOW I don't really feel anything for her… it must just be the pheromone…"

WHICH HAS BEEN LOCKED UP IN THE HIGH SECURITY SECTION OF YOUR LAB FOR MONTHS?

"Exactly! I mean… Goddard… Not helping!"

"I do NOT have feelings for Vortex, Goddard…" Jimmy growls at his companion, who just looks at him, thinking it wise not to respond. This was the boy who controlled his lug nut supply.

"Besides… even if I DID have feelings for her… which I DON'T… she'd never be interested… she's always so concerned about what everyone else thinks…" Jimmy finishes with a longing look towards his window.

* * *

Across the street, Cindy Vortex is also having a conversation with her (non mechanical) dog.

'What do you think, Humphrey… he actually really does like me! I mean he must, or he wouldn't have just kissed me, like that… would he?'

Cindy's excited chatter breaks off as she looks at her English bulldog's blank stare.

'I knew it… and I'm DONE pretending… tomorrow at school, I'm going to tell him how I feel… exactly how he told me' Cuddling her teddy bear (coincidentally named James) Cynthia Aurora Vortex drifts off to a blissful sleep, a smile of content playing on her lips.

* * *

The next morning, Jimmy gets up, red eyed from lack of sleep.

"Goddard, can I use my sick patch today?"

YOU HAVEN'T WORKED OUT THE BUGS

"I'd rather take my chances… CINDY'S going to be in school…" Jimmy can't believe he's begging his dog for permission to play hooky. The mechanical mutt could be a pretty big nark when he wanted to be… just last week, when Jimmy had tried to fake sick to go to Retroland with Sheen, Goddard had informed his mom of the whole plan, in exchange for a generous helping of lug nuts.

YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FACE HER SOONER OR LATER

"Why can't it be later… much later?"

SHE DIDN'T PUSH YOU AWAY…Goddard is actually starting to be sympathetic.

JUST TALK TO HER

"Easy for you to say" Jimmy grumbles as he gathers his books and heads down the stairs. He opens the door and just leaves, when he suddenly rushes back in, panting. Peeking through the living room window, he watches his blonde neighbor traipse merrily down the road, in her trademark green halter, and a denim skirt. She seems to be excited about something, humming under her breath as Jimmy watches her dreamily from behind a curtain.

At school, Cindy is starting to get worried. James Isaac Neutron is NEVER late. Especially not for first period science. When his two sidekicks walk in without him, her worry escalates to a full blown panic attack. Jimmy is either deathly ill, had been hit by a bus or… her stomach drops as she thinks of a third possibility: avoiding her.

Jimmy Neutron arrives at school after the bell rings, accepting his detention slip without word and slinking to the back of the class, hoping to avoid his rival's notice. Cindy's eyes are, as usual turned towards the front. She seems pale and distracted, though. Jimmy's stomach starts to churn. "She doesn't want to face me, too…" There's a sad inevitability in his musing, and he is so distracted, he doesn't notice the strange looks he's been getting from his red haired best friend all through first period.

After class, Jimmy is cornered by his two best friends in the hallway.

'Dude, where WERE you? We missed the bus, waiting for you. Lucky my dad was home, or we'd have been late…' Sheen is, as usual, oblivious.

"I think he was tired, Sheen… he HAD a busy night…" Carl looks at his friend meaningfully. A look of horror crosses Jimmy's face as he remembers the previous night.

_Flashback:_

_The townspeople chase after Corky with torches and pitchforks. Libby puts her arm around a dazed and battered Sheen, and follows them. Cindy is about to follow the crowd, when Jimmy grabs her hand, pulls her back, and kisses her briefly on the lips. In his subsequent dreamy haze, he forgets one of his friends, still locked up in the stocks right behind them, watching everything._

"Y-you…"

"Yeah, I was there" The look in Carl's eye is unreadable. Meanwhile, Sheen is getting more and more annoyed at being left out of the conversation.

'Is someone gonna tell me what's going on, or do I have to get Cindy to kick everyone's butts?'

"Go on, Sheen, Call Cindy… I'm sure JIMMY would like that…"

"CARL…"

'NEUTRON'

Jimmy turns pale at the sound of a third voice behind him. Without a word of warning, he pushes past her and runs towards the one place where she can't get him… the boy's room.

After hiding out in the boys room for an hour, Jimmy thinks it safe to emerge. He's already missed two classes, and has probably chalked up another two detentions. If he keeps this up, he's not going to be seeing the inside of his lab for a long time; his mom usually matched each detention he got with a week's grounding. He's heading into the cafeteria for some lunch (playing hooky is hungry work) when he runs straight into Carl Wheezer.

"Oh hey Jimmy, Sheen's waiting for us at Cindy and Libby's table.." for reasons unfathomable, there's a touch of malice in Carl's usually friendly voice.

"I…I'm not hungry…" Jimmy gulps, cursing the timing of his loud tummy grumbling.

"I'd hate to see how you sound when you're hungry, Jim… I never thought you'd actually wind up kissing Cindy though…" Under Carl's light tone, there's a barely noticeable edge.

"I DO NOT LIKE CINDY… YOU KNOW THE ONLY GIRL I'LL EVER BE INTERESTED IN IS BETTY!" Jimmy is vehement, defensive, and louder than he intended. Luckily for him, no one seemed to hear… no one that he noticed, anyway.

A ponytailed blonde had been walking purposefully towards the blue eyed genius the moment she saw him enter the cafeteria. She was directly behind him when he'd spoken, silently willing herself not to cry.

"You kissed Cindy… that MUST mean you like her…" Carl doesn't know where his words are coming from. He'd been exceedingly uncomfortable seeing Jimmy kiss Cindy in the alley the previous night… and for some reason needed reassurance that Jimmy was now telling the truth. He'd also noticed Cindy behind him, and a small part of him wanted Jimmy to be in trouble with her… although he didn't exactly know why.

"I'LL PROVE IT TO YOU"

In a fit of anger, Jimmy marches out of the cafeteria in search of a tall brunette with short hair and a pink dress. Assuming only Carl is watching, he grabs her, and pulls her into a short and rather unsatisfying kiss.

Hearing Carl's retreating footsteps down the hall, Jimmy pulls away, confused. This kiss was absolutely nothing like the one he'd shared the previous night with Cindy. There was no hint of fireworks, no tingles, no dreamy haze… just a faintly sticky sensation on his lips. Pulling back, he's about to apologize, when his eyes meet a pair of large, tear filled emerald orbs.

SLAP

With a sinking feeling, Jimmy watches the stricken blonde run towards HER sanctuary… the girls room. Sighing, he offers Betty a tired smile of apology as he heads towards the cafeteria, knowing, for the first time all day, that there would be absolutely no danger of running into Cindy Vortex.


End file.
